The Bet
by Aziza Esperance
Summary: Ron gets into a little trouble with a bet of Harry's. Will he ever be able to pluck up the courage to fulfill it? OneShot


The Bet

A/N: alright. This is my first fic that I wrote about a year ago. I think it's okay. Not perfect, but, a start. It's basically about a game that the guys play and Ron having arguments with himself. Hr/R

Godric

Disclaimer: Oh, yeah! I'm actually Jo Rowling is disguise. Yeah, maybe in my dreams!

Ron was frustrated. Not that he wasn't always frustrated to some degree, but this was

ridiculous. Apparently, the rest of the guys had insisted on a game of Dare, Dare, or Die. It was an old-fashioned game that had been played by Hogwarts guys for over a thousand years. Basically, the rules were what the name implied. No, you didn't actually die, but you did suffer humiliation to some degree afterward. It was the curse known as karma. See, originally, all the guys from all houses in the year got together to play it, but now it was just Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw. Slytherin had been shunned. Not that Ron cared. He didn't want to play with slimy, Death Eater wannabe's anyway. Ron then came to the Room of Requirement and opened the door. Everyone was there. Ron walked over to Harry amidst the crowd.

"Why do we have to play this game again?" Ron asked grumpily. Harry just smirked slightly.

" Because it's a good chance for blackmail material and otherwise you'd be finishing your Potions essay."

Ron brightened at this. " Yeah I guess your right."

Everyone moved to sit around an old wooden block. This block decided who went. Someone only had to tap it with their wand, and it would flash someone's else's name around the room. Then, the person who tapped the block had to give that unfortunate person a dare. They had to do it or run from the room and face utter humiliation come morning.

" Alright! Listen up! Who's turn is it to tap the block first?"

Terry Boot who was about three spaces away from Ron, raised his hand.

" Okay Terry. Take it away." Seamus said sitting down.

Terry tapped the block. It showed Ernie MacMillian's name.

" Okay Ernie. I dare you to stand on the table tomorrow at breakfast and declare

your undying love to Umbridge."

A chorus of, " Oooooooooooo..." went throughout the room.

" Oh, now that's just cruel!" Ernie said his face pale.

Terry shrugged. " You can do it...or run." He commented lightly.

Ernie sat back down.

" Okay Dean. You next." Dean tapped the block with a grin.

" Seamus." he said getting a maniac glint in his eye.

" I dare you to run out of here with nothing but your boxers on and this mask," here, he conjured and white mask with pink flowers on it, " And go up to McGonagall's office and yell, Minnie! Here I am! I'm ready for that special surprise you said you'd give me! Bring it on!"

Laughter rang throughout the room and Seamus didn't look as confident anymore.

He gulped and said, " Um, okay."

He took the mask from Dean, stripped down to his boxers and ran out of the room.

" I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." Ron heard Harry whisper next to him. He bent over the map to have a look as well. They saw Seamus running up the corridor while several people stopped to stare. Ron chuckled. Then, they saw him run into McGonagall's office and stop for a few seconds and then peel out of there.

" Wow. I reckon Seamus should go out for the track team for a track team somewhere." Harry commented.

" Forget Seamus! Look at McGonagall go! She's like going 50 mph! Man, I never knew she was so fast!"

Just then, a breathless and furious Seamus burst through the door and bolted it. He scrambled into his clothes, vanished the mask and sat down.

" Mischief Managed." Harry said sounding amused.

Then Seamus unleashed his fury.

" DID YOU KNOW HOW FAST MCGONAGALL WAS!"

He went on for a few more minutes, then took a deep breath and said quite calmly,

" Harry, it's your turn."

Harry looked quite surprised, and after a moment, tapped the block. Then his face broke into a huge grin. Ron wondered how it didn't break his face and thought that, that couldn't be too good for him. And he was right.

" Ron."

_Uh oh._

" Uhhh...Harry, mate, you won't make me do anything too embarrassing right?" Ron asked nervously, for he knew that Harry could be quite evil when he was in a mind to be.

" Oh, of _course _not Ron. Never." Harry said lightly with a small laugh.

" I seem to be tired of hidden feelings and constant bickering from my two best friends. Ron, I'd like you to tell Hermione exactly how you truly feel about her."

Ron's face drained of all color. _No bloody, effing way!_ _I'd much rather run and face whatever it is tomorrow._ No, it'll make you seem like a coward. _Who bloody cares! _You will. _Fine. I hate you._ Thanks, that makes me feel very good. Ron then realized at that moment, that he was holding an argument with himself, and that he should stop if he wanted to keep himself labeled as 'non-crazy'. There was no other choice. But first he was going to see if he couldn't get out of it.

" I hate you."

Oh very mature, Weasley. _Shut up! _

Harry just raised an eyebrow.

" You know, if you don't get a move on, she'll have already found someone. In fact, I thought I saw her near the Quidditch pitch earlier today with Roger Davis, right Seamus?"

" Aye, Harry. She was. Seriously."

The rest of the guys played along.

" You think she went to practice with him?"

" Forget that, you think she met his team?"

" You think–" Seamus gasped as he fell in mirth, " You think he showed her his broomstick collection!"

The room erupted in laughter. Ron's ears turned red.

" Oh, bugger off!"

Harry chuckled. " Well? Are you going to do it or not?"

Ron just scowled and turned away from then rest of them.

Oh stop being such a baby! _Oh shut up!_

" Hey, I've got an idea. Ron, if you do it, I'll give you 20 galleons."

Ron's ears perked up.

" Me too!"

" Aye, me as well."

" I'm in."

Similar answers chorused around the room. Finally Ron turned around and said grumpily, " Fine."

Cheers echoed all around.

" Alright, but in order to get the money, you need to admit it to her now." Harry said pulling something out of his bag.

" Here, the twins gave me these. Consider it a gift. They'll get you past the Staircase from Hell. Good luck mate! I'll be rooting for you!"

Ron took the suction-cup like shoes and quickly fled from the room. When he was in the common room, he put them on and walked up the staircase wall. _Hey! These are pretty cool! I'll need to talk to Fred and George... _Focus! _Be quiet!_

He knocked on the door. Footsteps answered him. He could still turn back now! There was still time! The door opened. Times up!

A sleepy Hermione opened the door, her hair everywhere.

" What?" she asked sleepily.

" Hi Hermione." Ron said shifting nervously from one foot to the other.

" Ron? What are you doing here? How did you get here?"

Ron rubbed the back of his neck.

" Ummmmm...that's kind of a long, funny story.."

Hermione looked more awake now.

" Ronald Weasley, you will tell me why you're here at-" here she looked back into the room, "-1:00 in the morning?" She folded her arms across her chest and glared.

_Dammit!_

Ron's inner-self was having a fierce internal battle:

Tell her! _No. _But she might go out with someone else if you don't. _I don't care, and no she won't. _Roger Davis. _He's a pumpkin head, and the guys were just having me on. _Were they? _Hmm...maybe your right..._ Of course I am. _And so modest..._ You be quiet, I'll be right.

Hermione cleared her throat.

Your on your own, mate. _Oh thanks! Some bloody help you were! _No problem.

" Ummmmm...er...well I, er, just wanted to say, uh..." Ron began to panic.

What was he supposed to say or do! He thought around his head for an escape route. Finding none, he thought, aw, what the hell!

He leaned over and kissed her deeply. He was too blissfully unaware at that particular moment to even possibly notice that she was kissing him back. Then, his racing mind caught up with him.

WHAT THE BLOODY HELL ARE YOU DOING!

_Bugger off, I'm busy! _

Finally Ron pulled back gasping for air. Hermione had a dazed look about her face and Ron didn't think his expression looked much better.

" Wow." Hermione said softly. Then she looked up at Ron, still a little dazed.

" See you at Hogmeade tomorrow?" she asked.

Ron nodded absently. " Yeah."

Hermione smiled and closed the door behind her.

Ron had a large, lopsided grin planted on his face as he stumbled backward.

However, he stumbled right into the staircase and fell backwards down the slide into a heap on the floor. After he got up, he resumed his goofy smile.

" A date, a kiss, and 100 galleons. That's what I call a good bet."

And he walked off to go back to the Room of Requirement to rub his victory in Harry's face, and collect his price money.


End file.
